Être Aux Anges
by Katriona
Summary: More detailed summary inside. Basically, Prue and Andy are both Whitelighters, and they have a child together. Circumstances force them to give her up, but will even that be enough to save her? *Please R&R* *COMPLETED*
1. Jusqu'à la mort

Être Aux Anges: French; to walk on air  
  
  
Summary: Okay, so it's already been proving on the show that Whitelighters, althought they're technically dead, can have children, and that these children will be mortal (in the sense that they aren't immortal, as WLs are). We know that Andy was killed by a demon, and told Prue not to reset time, rather, to let him stay dead in order to save her and her sisters. For the purpose of this fic, let's say that this was enough to make him a WL. Then, when Prue died at the hands of Shax while trying to save the doctor, she was made a WL. They reunite Up There, and have a child. Got all that? Good. Now go read.  
  
A/N: I don't think I need to tell you how much I desire feedback. But I will anyway. Must. Get. Reviews.  
  
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own any of the main characters, except Prue and Andy's kid. Remind me why this is necessary?  
  
****************  
  
Prue rubbed her eyes, and sat up, looking around. Where was she? She put her hand to her head. At least it wasn't hurting anymore. She'd had the distinct memory of a throbbing headache, but why?  
  
Then she remembered. Shax. The jackass. He'd thrown into the wall, along with Piper...  
  
Piper. Oh God, where was Piper? Prue got up, looking around frantically for her younger sister. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with the last two women she'd expected to see.  
  
"Mom? Grams?" Prue sputtered.  
  
"Don't worry, darling, it's all right." Grams asssured.  
  
"But.. where...?" Prue started to ask. A sudden flash of realization hit her. "No," she denied, "I'm not... I can't be..." One look at her mother told her otherwise. "I'm.. dead?" She walked around, noticing for the first time her clear, white surroundings. "So this is what it's like," she mused, her voice becoming flat and emotionless.  
  
"Sweetheart, I know it's a shock," Patty began, worried about her daughter's vacant expression.  
  
"Shock?" Prue repeated angrily."You're damn right it's a shock. So, now what do I do? Just float around here for the rest of eternity?"  
  
"The Elders want to make you a Whitelighter." Grams blurted out.  
  
Prue raised an eyebrow. "A what?"  
  
"Don't give me that, you know what it is." Grams admonished.  
  
Prue didn't bother keeping her anger in check. "This is their fault. If it wasn't for them, I'd be down there with my sisters, and now they want me to go work for them? Who the hell do they think they are?"  
  
"Prue," Patty said imploringly.  
  
"No, Mom." Prue said. "I'm sorry, but after all they've put us through the past three years, and our whole lives for that matter, why should I do this for them?"  
  
"I could give you a few reasons."  
  
Prue spun around. Coming towards her was Andy, dressed in his favourite tee-shirt, and, oh yes, the sneakers she'd tried numerous times to get him to throw out. Prue couldn't help but smile. He looked much the same way he did the day he died. And he wasn't even transparant, like Patty and Grams were...  
  
"Andy, you're a Whitelighter!?!?" Prue exclaimed.  
  
"Are you surprised?" he asked.  
  
Prue shook her head. "Not at all. You were always all about helping people."  
  
"And so were you." he reminded her. "You can keep doing that, Prue. Forget about the Elders, about everything that's happened. I know doing good is what really matters to you, and I think you know it too."  
  
Prue nodded, then looked to her mother and grandmother. "So now what?" she asked again.  
  
Grams motioned for Prue to follow her, Patty, and Andy. They led Prue to a large, brightly-lit room. Twelve Elders were sitting around a long, rectanulgar table.  
  
"Prudence. Welcome." Julius, the Elder at the head of the table, greeted. Prue started at him, standing still and not speaking. Suddenly, she was afraid. "It's allright," Julius said, laughing. "Come on, it's okay."  
  
He led Prue into another room. What happened there was more beautiful than she ever could have imagined. That was where Prue got her wings. 


	2. Voir Les

Prue sighed happily. The whole day had been a blur, and it gave her a headache to think about it. She already missed her sisters fiercely, but she got the distinct impression that she was going to be very content in her knew role as Whitelighter.  
  
She snuggled closer to Andy, leaning against his chest. After she'd gotten her wings, he'd orbed her to the hill overlooking their old high school. They'd spent many nights up on that hill, laying under the stars just the way they were doing now. It was kind of a special place for them, and Andy knew it would make Prue feel better.  
  
Andy leaned down, gently kissing her. They were both silently reminiscing back to when they were younger. "You know," Prue said, "They never did catch us up here."  
  
Andy smiled. He knew what she was thinking. They'd both dreamed about this, about being together, since the day he died. Of course, neither of them had expected or wanted it to happen like this, but the fact remained that the oppurtunity was there.  
  
"Now what, exactly, are you suggesting, Ms. Halliwell?" Andy inquired playfully.  
  
"Oh, you know damn well what." Prue shot back. She smiled as he kissed her again, deeper this time. They lay back, on the cold, but soft ground, and for the first time that day, Prue felt truly happy.  
  
Prue woke up the next morning, instinctively knowing something was wrong. At first, she thought she'd overslept, and that her sisters would be calling her any minute now. Then, she looked around, and realized she wasn't in her room. Instead, she was back Up There. Andy was gone, she assumed off with a charge. Suddenly restless, she got up to go look for her mother and grandmother.  
  
"Mom? Grams?" Prue called. She managed to find her way back the place they'd been the day before, but they were nowhere in sight. "Mom? Grams?"  
  
Julius appeared at the other end of the courtyard-like space. "They aren't here." he told her. "They're on Earth. With your sisters."  
  
"Piper and Phoebe. How are they?" Prue asked, her face full of concern.  
  
"Piper and Phoebe are fine. It's the other one we're concerned about." Julius said.  
  
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Prue demanded. "What other one? I've only got two sisters."  
  
Julius laughed. "That's right, you don't know. Oh well, see for yourself. You're a Whitelighter now, you know. One of your powers is to see what's going on down on Earth. Comes in handy now and then, though you'll find that out yourself."  
  
Prue looked at him, not comprehending. "Tap into your power." he said simply. Then, he orbed out.  
  
"I always knew they were damn useless." Prue grumbled. Sighing, she tried to tap into her power as the Elder had said, but she had no idea what she was doing.  
  
Suddenly, it hit her, almost like one of Phoebe's premonitions. She saw a young woman at her funeral. Some power told her that the woman's name was Paige. Then, the scene changed. This time, it was in the attic. Prue realized it was happening right then, and that her last vision had been of the past. This time, it was deeper, almost as if she was in the attic with Piper, Phoebe, Patty, Grams, Leo, and Cole. She could hear every word that was being said, although she almost didn't believe her ears.  
  
When the vision ended, Prue slumped down against a column. If what Patty had said in her vision was true, then this girl wasn't just an innocent for her sisters to protect. No, she was much more than that. She was Prue's own baby half-sister, and Prue had never even gotten the chance to see her face to face. In that moment, all the shock she'd been in the past 24 hours came to an end. Prue wanted to go back to the manor, wanted to be alive, wanted more than anything to be able to go comfort her sisters and tell them she was all right. She slumped farther down against the column, pulling her knees up close to her chest, and cried.  
  
****************  
A/N: See that purdy purple button down there? The one marked 'Review'? Go press it. Go on, it'll be fun. Pretty please?  
A/N2: Just to avoid confusion, the next chapter takes place exactly a year after this one. I'll mention it in the chapter itself, just not right away. Just included this here because I don't want my entire readership (which consists of what, two people?) scratching their proverbial heads and going "what the [frell] is she doing?!?", because that would be bad. 


	3. La Naissance

"I can't do this, Andy, I can't." Prue said pleadingly.  
  
"I know." Andy replied. "I know it's hard, and it's the last thing I want to do, but we have to. For her sake."  
  
Prue looked down at the baby girl she was cradling in her arms. Their daughter was less than five hours old, and already they were going to take her away. Prue couldn't stand it. "Andy, please. There has to be another way."  
  
The tiny infant, having no idea what was going on around her, cooed innocently up at her mother. Prue started sobbing, holding the baby close to her. Andy sat down on the bed beside her, caressing her soft face gently.  
  
"I wish there was, Prue." he said. "I wish that more than anything, you know that. But we've been racking our brains ever since we were sure you were pregnant, and you know as well as I do that there isn't. This is the best thing for her."  
  
"We're her parents, Andy, we're the best thing for her." Prue said through a deluge of tears.  
  
"If that were true, if there were some other chance, I take it in a heartbeat. But there isn't, damnit, there isn't." Andy's forcefullness surprised Prue, not to mention himself. "I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, looking down at their little girl and fighting back his own tears. "I'm so sorry."  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes, throwing themselves into caring for their daughter for those last few moments. Then, Julius appeared in the doorway.  
  
"It's time." he announced, looking at them sympathetically. "You know what to do?"  
  
They both nodded solemnly. They'd gone over this many times in the past few weeks. They would orb to the Church where, around twenty-five years ago, her mother had left Paige, and ask Sister Agnes to take care of the baby until Prue's sisters came for her. Julius would use his power to "suggest" to Paige that she go to the Church and talk to the Sister about the day she was found. Julius would also see that Piper and Phoebe went with them.  
  
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Prue asked anxiously. "I've been dead for one year, what makes us think they haven't already moved on? How do we know they'll want to take care of her?"  
  
"Prue," Julius said gently. "You know they will. They miss you, you've seen that. Don't give me that surprised look. I know you've been using your power to check up on them."  
  
Andy took Prue's hand, and kissed it. "Let's go."  
  
Neither Prue nor Andy trusted themselves enough to orb, so Julius took Andy's hand, and rested his free hand firmly on Prue's shoulder. He'd become quite close to her in the past year, like a second father, and a mentor. He was the only Elder who had known Prue was pregnant. They hadn't dared to tell anyone else. Witches and Whitelighters were no longer expressly forbidden to be together, but it was still frowned upon, and as for two Whitelighters... Well, that went beyond simply being unprofessional.  
  
Julius orbed them to the back of the Church. As he promised, Sister Agnes was there alone. After Julius orbed out, the nun turned around, and put her hand to her mouth in awe.  
  
"Sister," Prue began, her voice full of pain. "Sister, do you remember back in 1977, when two people came to you just like we did, and asked you to care for their baby girl?"  
  
Sister Agnes nodded. "Of course I do. But... If I may ask, why are you coming to me again? Oh!" she exclaimed upon seeing the baby in Prue's arms. "Oh, don't tell me... But, no, not again.."  
  
Prue nodded, tears spilling down her face. Andy, standing behind her, put his arms on her shoulders and continued for her.  
  
"Sister, that baby's name is Paige Matthews. She's now living on Prescott Street, with her sisters, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell. We need..." Andy paused, his heart heavy. With a sigh, he continued, reminding himself again that this for the best. "We need you to look after our baby, until Paige and her sisters come for her. Will you do it, please?"  
  
"Yes, yes, I'll do it." Sister Agnes said immedeately. "I know this must be extremely hard for you, but please, just answer one question. Why is this happening? Why are such special children being orphaned at such young ages?"  
  
"Because, Sister," Prue answered, "There aren't enough good people in the world. There are a lot, sure, people like you, and my-- Paige's sisters." she corrected herself. "But there's not enough."  
  
With that, Prue handed the baby to the nun, kissing her child good-bye and turning back to Andy quickly, so as not to have to see this stranger holding her daughter. Andy handed the woman a piece of paper, folded over until it was very small. "Give this to Piper," he instructed. Then, satisfied that the nun would do as she was asked, he orbed out holding Prue, looking heartbrokenly at the baby he was leaving behind.  
  
He orbed her to the apratment he kept for whenever business with a charge required him to appear human. Prue, needing to be alone, ran into the bedroom and lay down on the bed, crying uncontrollably. Andy tried to go and comfort her, be she shrugged him off and continued weeping, so he went back into the living room and flopped down onto the couch. The curtains were wide open, and he lay on his back, looking through the window up at the stars, praying for his daughter's safetly. They both stayed that way until morning.  
  
********************  
  
A/N: So, what do you think of the story thus far? Please review. It only takes a second to hit that sexy purple button down there, and it'll make you (well, me) feel very good.  
Next chapter, you'll find out the baby's name. I'm not finished writing the chapter yet, so that's still open for suggestion. If you've got any ideas, put them in your review. The sexy purple button will love you for it! *g* 


	4. La Lettre

"Hey, where are you going?" Piper asked as her youngest sister, Paige, rummaged throught the kitchen, looking for her car keys.  
  
"Oh, um, just.. out for a drive." Paige stammered.  
  
Piper narrowed her eyes. "Paige, if you don't want to tell me, fine. But you wouldn't be looking that worried if you were just going out for a drive."  
  
Paige sighed. She'd only known her sisters a year, but already they could read her annoyingly well. "Ok. I was going to the Church. The one Mom and my dad left me at. I don't know why, I just... I just have this feeling that I need to go there. To talk to Sister Agnes, find out some more about what happened that day. You know, the last time I saw her, I didn't really get a chance to talk, because you came in and froze her."  
  
Piper stared at Paige curiously, then composed herself, trying not to act too surprised. "Ok, well, um, if you need a ride, I was just going to the market..."  
  
Paige nodded. "Thanks. As my keys seem to have walked off by themselves, I'll take you up on that."  
  
"Allright, just let me get my jacket." Piper said, setting down the now-empty coffee mug she'd been drinking from when Paige came in. She strode into the hall, so preoccupied with worry over Paige that she almost collided with her other sister, Phoebe.  
  
"Hey, honey, what's wrong?" Phoebe asked, reading the expression on Piper's face.  
  
"Nothing, just... nothing. Hey, I was just going to the market, and to drop Paige off at that Church she was left at, you want to come along for the ride?" Piper offered.  
  
"Whoa, wait, back up." Phoebe said. "What's this about Paige going back to the Church?"  
  
"She says she wants to talk to Sister Agnes." Piper shrugged. "Now, are you coming or not, because the market's gonna close in-" Phoebe grabbed both their jackets and pulled Piper toward the kitchen before she even had time to finish her sentence.  
  
When they arrived at the Church, Paige looked a bit nervous.  
  
"Honey, do you want us to go in with you?" Phoebe offered. Paige nodded. The three of them got out of the car and started toward the large, ornate building.  
  
The front of the Church was empty. "Sister Agnes?" Paige called out. When there was no reply, she led her sisters to the back of the Church.  
  
"Paige." The girls spun around to see the petite, kind-looking nun standing behind them, holding an infant. "And you must be her sisters, the oens the angels spoke of." she continued, eyeing Phoebe and Piper.  
  
"Angels?" Phoebe repeated.  
  
Sister Agnes raeched into her pocket, producing the note. "There were two, a man and a woman. The man said to give this to you, Piper."  
  
Piper took the paper from the Sister, and read it carefully, her face a mixture of grief, awe, and amazement. "It's from Prue," she said, then read the note aloud.  
  
"To my darling sisters,  
  
First off, I want you to know that I'm ok. The Elders made me a Whitelighter, and one of them, Julius, has become a very good friend. Piper, Phoebe, I miss you both more than I can say. Paige, I wish I could have met you. I know you worry about not being a good enough witch. Don't. You're doing a great job, all three of you.  
Andy is also a Whitelighter. The baby in Sister Agnes' arms is ours. I love her more than I could ever have imagined. I don't want to do this, but as Andy has told me many times, we don't have a choice.  
Whitelighters are strictly forbidden to be with other Whitelighters. I know they said the same thing about Whitelighters and witches, but they're much more adamant about this. Hard to imagine them being more adamant about anything they were about you and Leo, Piper, but trust me, it's possible. Andy and I don't care about what they do to us, when and if they find out, but we can't even imagine what would happen to our baby, if they knew about her. We can't keep her with us, it's much too dangerous, and it wouldn't be fair to her. We need you to look after her. I know, it's an awful lot to ask, but it's the only chance she has. I'm not sure how you'll feel about this, especially you, Paige, but please, we need you. She needs you. Please, take care of her. Above all, make sure she knows that I love her.  
I love you all,  
Prue"  
  
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige exchanged glances, then looked over at the baby. "That's... our neice?"  
  
"Well, um, that's definately Prue's handwriting." Piper said, her voice shaking with emotion.  
  
Phoebe and Piper looked from the baby to Paige, who was standing off to the side, looking uncomfortable and feeling left out. "Should we, um talk about this?" Phoebe asked uncertainly.  
  
Suddenly, Paige went over to Sister Agnes and took the baby from her. "What's there to talk about?" she asked her sisters. "I mean, even though I didn't know Prue, technically this is my neice too, right?"  
  
"Of course she is." Phoebe answered.  
  
"Well, I'll be damned if we're sending my neice away. I mean, I loved my adoptive parents, you both know I did, but growing up not knowing my biological family was hard. I don't want her going through that." Paige said.  
  
Piper and Phoebe smiled at Paige, then turned their attention back to the baby. "Oh, hi sweetie." they cooed.  
  
"She's so perfect." Piper mused. "What's her name?"  
  
"The angels never told me," Sister Agnes said. "I've been calling her Angelie, for obvious reasons."  
  
"Angelie." Phoebe repeated.  
  
"Angelie Prudence." Piper suggested.  
  
"Hey, Angelie," Paige cooed, stroking the baby's face with her fingers. Piper and Phoebe moved closer to her, beaming down at the infant. Angelie yawned and waved a tiny hand in the air, causing her aunts to giggle.  
  
"She's probably tired." Phoebe guessed. "Maybe we should take her home, let her sleep."  
  
"We have to get her a crib first." Piper reminded her, taking the baby from Paige. "This little girl was the last thing any of us expected, and we're not exactly prepared."  
  
"I think I saw some baby stuff in the attic." Paige said. "We can use that for today, until one of us has a chance to go baby stuff-shopping."  
  
Piper nodded. The three sisters thanked the nun profusely, and then took their little neice home.  
  
****************  
A/N: Okay, I know this chapter sucked, but please, review anyway, just to make me happy. I've got up to chapter 8 written, and the more reviews I get, the faster I'll put it up. I'm hoping for at least 25 by the time I hit chapter 10. 


	5. À la maison

"Leo!" Piper called as soon as they got in the front door. "LEO!"  
  
Her husband orbed in, stadning in front of them. "Honey, what's... Whoa, who's the baby? Is that an innocent?"  
  
"No." Piper answered. "Not exactly. She's our neice. Prue's daughter." Paige handed him the note. Leo looked it over carefully, then looked up at Piper, giving her an is-this-for-real glance. "Yeah," Piper said, smiling down at the baby she was holding. "And while we're on the subject of Prue, why didn't you tell us that's she's a Whitelighter?"  
  
"I didn't know." Leo told her. "Really, I didn't."  
  
Phoebe sighed. "Okay, well for now I think we need to concentrate on Angelie."  
  
"Angelie?" Leo asked.  
  
"It's what Sister Agnes named her." Paige explained.  
  
Angelie let out a cry, temporarily pulling the adults out of their numb, shocked state.  
  
"One of us needs to stay with her." Piper said. "The other three have to go to buy a crib, diapers, baby formula, clothes, everything."  
  
All four adults volunteered to stay home with their new neice. In the end, it was Paige who got to stay behind. Leo, Piper, and Phoebe went down to Babies R Us to buy the necessary suppilies.  
  
Paige had no where to put the baby, and she could tell Angelie was getting sleepy, so she took her up to the attic, and, holding the infant with one hand, rooted around until she found a baby carrier that was miraculously clean. She brought it downstairs, wiped it down a few times just to make sure it was ok, and set the baby in it. Angelie promptly fell asleep.  
  
Paige sat down to watch television, but there was nothing on. Restless, she began getting up every few minutes to check on the baby. The fifth time, she noticed the paper sitting on the table, where her brother-in-law had left it. Curiously, she picked it up. In all the excitement over the baby, Paige hadn't had the chance to really read it. Now, she wanted to take a closer look.  
  
Paige read the note a few times, wondering what danger had possibly been great enough to make her sister give up her child, especially when the only threat was the Elders themselves, who were supposed to be a force for good.  
  
Paige suddenly got an idea. What if there were something about the Elders in the Book of Shadows, something to help her understand what their deal was? She brought Angelie's carrier into her room, where she'd be able to hear if the baby woke up. Then, Paige ran into the attic excitedly. She started to flip through the BoS, when she saw the familiar swirl of bright, white lights that acoompanied orbing. In a second, Prue was standing in front of her.  
  
"How is she?" Prue demanded. "Is she ok? Are you taking care of her?"  
  
"She's fine." Paige breathed, shocked at finally seeing her sister. "She's perfect."  
  
Prue breathed a sigh of relief, and seemed to relax. "And what about you?" she asked. "I mean, I know this whole thing is coming out of nowhere. I probably should have given you guys some kind of warning, but that would have meant acknowledging that I was going to give her up, I wasn't ready. Hell, I'm still not."  
  
Paige moved forward awkwardly to hug the sister she'd known for all of five minutes. Prue returned the embrace warmly. When they pulled away, they were both smiling.  
  
"I can't even imagine how hard this must be for you." Paige said.  
  
"I feel a lot better knowing she'll be with you, Piper, and Phoebe. But are you three sure you want to do this?" Prue questioned.  
  
"Absolutely." Paige said. "I'll admit, the shock hasn't worn off yet, but we already love Angelie."  
  
"Angelie." Prue repeated, trying out the name.  
  
"It's what Sister Agnes was calling her. We've named her Angelie Prudence, after you, but she's only two days old, it's not too late to change it if you don't like it." Paige explained.  
  
"I love it." Prue assured her.  
  
"Do you want to see her?" Paige offered.  
  
Prue thought for a minute, torn. Then, she shook her head. "It's too dangerous. I shouldn't even be here."  
  
Paige nodded. "Ok, well, Leo, Piper, and Phoebe went to get baby stuff. They should be home in a few hours. If you can't wait, will you at least come back?"  
  
Prue shook her head again. "I can't. I'm not allowed to see them. I'm not even supposed to talk to you, but I had to meet you at least once. It isn't fair that we never got to know each other."  
  
"It's not." Paige agreed, "But I'm really glad I at least get to see you now. Will you come back?"  
  
"I don't know." Prue said. "I'll try, but it's going to be hard. Maybe if get Julius to persuade the other Elders to give me an assignment around here, but even then, I don't know." She moved closer to Paige, running her hands through her littlest sister's hair the way she'd done with Piper and Phoebe to comfort them. "You'll take care of her, won't you? You'll make sure she knows that I love her, even if I can't be here?"  
  
Paige nodded. It hurt her to see the deep pain in Prue's startlingly blue eyes. "Of course. Of course I will."  
  
Prue kissed her sister lightly on the cheek. Then, she was gone in a swirl of light.  
  
****************  
A/N: Urgh. I may have to rewrite some of this. I know the concept of the fic is good, but I just got out of a long stretch of writer's block, and now I'm turning it to crap. I'm not sure if Prue will make other appearances, so I left that kind of open-ended. Probably she won't, at least not for a long time, but I'm not sure. Review and let me know what you think. 


	6. Règle Briseur

Piper ran into the house eagerly, leaving the door open for Leo to carry in the big boxes of baby furniture they'd purchased.  
  
"Paige!" she called. "Come see what we bought."  
  
Paige came down the steps, holding Angelie. Piper immediately dropped her bags and ran over to kiss her tiny neice hello.  
  
"Hey, Angelie, come see what we got for you." she cooed.  
  
Paige handed the baby over to Piper, and went outside to help Phoebe with the rest of the bags.  
  
"Wow, this is a lot of stuff." she exclaimed. "I thought you guys were just supposed to take care of the necessities today."  
  
"We did." Phoebe said.  
  
Paige looked at Leo. "Well, have you ever tried shopping with your sisters?" he asked her.  
  
Paige nodded. "Nuff said."  
  
Piper and Phoebe shot them both dirty looks.  
  
"Come on, let's go put this stuff together." Leo suggested.  
  
An hour later, they had a makeshift nursery set up in Grams' old bedroom. They'd bought all the essentials: a crib, a changing table, a chest of drawers, and a playpen that they set up in a corner of the living room. They'd also bought a small bassinet to put in the kitchen, and a high chair for when Angelie was old enough to sit up. Piper placed the baby in the crib, and the adults stepped back to survey the room.  
  
"It needs to be painted." Piper observed.  
  
"Let's leave that for next weekend, honey." Leo replied.  
  
Phoebe and Paige nodded their agreement. Angelie gurgled contently.  
  
"I think she likes it." Phoebe remarked.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot..." Piper left the room, and returned with two more shopping bags, containing a variety of stuffed animals and other playthings.  
  
"Piper, those are almost bigger than she is!" Leo exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, well, she'll grow." Piper retorted.  
  
"You do know she's barely 48 hours old, right?" Paige asked.  
  
"Yes," Piper countered. "But I thought she should have something to, you know, hang onto when she's older."  
  
"Piper's got a point." Phoebe said. "I've still got my first stuffed animal. I've had it since I was her age."  
  
"Younger." Piper reminisced. "I remember Dad giving it to you the day you were born, and saying it was from me and Prue."  
  
"Speaking of Prue," Paige started, thinking that this was as good a time as any to bring up that afternoon's visit. "She was sort of here."  
  
Piper and Phoebe stared at her open-mouthed. Paige told them every detail about their sisters appearance.  
  
"Oh my God... Is she coming back? Can we see her?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Paige shook her head. "I have no idea, but I doubt it. Guys, she was really scared."  
  
Piper frowned. Paige's worried expression was really getting to her. "Leo, why would she be scared?"  
  
Leo shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, in the letter, what she said about them not wanting witches and Whitelighters to be together was true. It was bad enough what they did to us, I can't even imagine what they'd do if they found out about Prue and Andy, especially if they knew about Angelie. Of course, Julius already knows, but then, the other Elders don't like him. He's extremely liberal. He was the one fighting for us, when they weren't going to let us get married."  
  
"If he already knows, then can't you go talk to him about it?" Paige asked.  
  
Leo nodded. "I'll go now. He should be alone." With that, he orbed out, leaving Piper, Phoebe and Paige to take care of the baby, and try to stop themselves from worrying.  
  
****************  
A/N: Argh. Yet another bad chapter. I swear, I'm trying, I really am. It would really help a lot if I got more reviews, *hint, hint*. And on that note, thanks a bunch to CFan2005, your reviews have really helped!  
A/N2: This is mostly to CFan2005 - No, French isn't my first language. I've only been studying it for about 6 months now. I like to use it in my fics because it's a beautiful language, plus I find that using it outside school helps me remember it come test day. I'm glad you like my use of it :) 


	7. Soulagement Comique

Andy checked his watch, then knocked on his charge's door. Like Leo, he usually posed as a handyman, though with this particular charge there was no need. She had been his first charge, and, due partly to his inexperience, she had quickly seen him for what he was.  
  
A tall, tired-looking woman opened the door. "Andy, come in."  
  
"Hi, Wendy." he greeted her. "How is everything?"  
  
"Good." she replied. "Really good. The baby's finally started to sleep through the night."  
  
"That's great." Andy replied, trying to sound enthusiastic.  
  
"Come on," Wendy said, "I want you to meet him."  
  
She led Andy to a small, beautifully decorated room in the back of the house. Andy felt a sharp pang, and wondered if his own daughter was sleeping in a nursery like this.  
  
"Cute kid." Andy remarked, his throat suddenly dry.  
  
Wendy, not seeming to notice, beamed down at the baby. "His name is Quentin."  
  
Andy coughed. "So, Wendy, any demonic problems lately?"  
  
The witch shook her head. "No, everythings been quiet since he was born."  
  
"Good, that's good." Andy looked up. For the first time in a year, he was relieved to hear the Elders calling. "Ok, if there aren't any problems, I have to go. There's a big staff meeting Up There, and they're calling me."  
  
"Of course." Wendy said, looking up. "I'd offer to walk you out, but, you know..."  
  
Andy smiled. "Bye, Wendy." He orbed out, leaving his charge with her infant son.  
  
****************  
A/N: I know this chapter was really short, and I'm sorry, but I only really put it in for comic relief, and someone wanted to see Andy with a charge, so here you go. I know a bit more about where the story is going now, and I don't think this is the last time Prue or Andy will appear with a charge. If I do decide to do this again, it'll be tied into the plot better. Go review, I need feedback.  
A/N2: You may or may not have noticed it in my profile, but I changed my e-mail address. You can still e-mail me at reaiityescapesme@aol.com, but I'll get your e-mail a lot faster if you send it to xScarletStarlet@aol.com. Feel free to e-mail me with comments, questions, suggestions, whatever, about this or any of my other fics/original stories. 


	8. Un Réunion Vers le haut Là

Leo orbed Up There, and found the Elder he was looking for. As usual, Julius was off by himself.  
  
"Leo! Hello." Julius' greeting was warm, unlike his stiff, businesslike peers.  
  
"Hi, Julius." Leo returned, his tone weary.  
  
Julius knew at once what this was about. "I've been expecting this. It's quite a bombshell we've dropped on you, isn't it?"  
  
Leo nodded. "Not that we mind, of course, we're happy to do this. We just wish we could have had some kind of..."  
  
"Warning?" the Elder finished. "Yes, I know, but we couldn't do anything to risk alerting my colleagues." Julius said the last word with such contempt that Leo was startled.  
  
"I'm not here because we weren't ready." Leo said. "I'm here because we want to know what has Prue scared enough to give up her child. She was like a sister to me, I know that this is the last thing she'd willingly do."  
  
Julius nodded gravely. "The other Elders have really been cracking down lately on those who break the rules. Prue's scared. They're scared. I'm scared. Everyone's scared. There's been talk lately. Talk of a darklighter going after Whitelighters, trying to get their powers to wipe out us all."  
  
"This happened before." Leo remembered. "Eames, he got up here. But the girls vanquished him before he even got a chance to do any real harm. If it's just a darklighter, then what's everyone so afraid of?"  
  
"It's not just a darklighter." Julius admitted. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but hell, even I think our rules are stupid. The darklighter is working for Cole."  
  
Leo swallowed. "What does he want?"  
  
Julius gave a snort. "Who knows? I don't think even he does. You've seen him, he's gone crazy since your sister-in-law left him. With all those powers he acquired in the wasteland... it would be the biggest understatement in history if I told you this isn't good."  
  
"So what can we do?" Leo asked.  
  
"Not much, I'm afraid. Just take care of Prue's baby, and keep Cole away from her. I haven't told Prue or Andy this, but that child will be more powerful than any of us can imagine."  
  
Leo thought back to the sweet baby girl, who'd been lying contently in his wife's arms, and wondered how such an innocent, beautiful little infant could possibly be mixed up in any of this. He was about to ask Julius this, when they heard the soft, chiming sound that signaled the beginning of staff meetings. Sighing, he followed Julius to a place where all the other Elders and Whitelighters were gathered, sitting around a long table that had been magically enhanced to fit all of them.  
  
Leo spotted Prue and Andy at opposite ends of the table. It still surprised him that he hadn't seen either of them at these things before.  
  
Prue was donig her best to avoid Andy. It hurt her to look at him, because he reminded her of Angelie, as if Prue needed reminding. There wasn't a second that went by without Prue thinking of her daughter, and somehow being with Andy made the pain even worse, because she knew she couldn't really have him, either. She sighed, wishing, not for the first time, that she'd never gotten her wings.  
  
When the meeting was over, Leo, Prue, and Andy each orbed out in opposite directions. None of them had payed any attention to what had been said; they were all too preoccupied with their own thoughts, most of which were centered around Angelie.  
  
After they were gone, and the meeting area had cleared out, Julius remained. He stayed behind for a long time, sitting at the table and pondering how to protect Angelie and bring their small family unit back together. After hours had passed with no solution, he sighed, got up, and left. All he could do was wait.  
  
****************  
A/N: Just to clear something up, because I haven't thought to put it in before now... Cole isn't the Source anymore, but he is the all-powerful, invicible entity he became in the wasteland, and he and Phoebe are divorced. Piper's not pregnant. Paige never quite her job, but she never got promoted, either. Other than that, everything's the way it was circa the beginning of season 5. Now that that's all understood, go review. I've written up to chapter 14, but I'm having a lot of trouble continuing, so please, review. Also, as always, you can e-mail me with any questions, comments, or just to tell me to get off my ass an update. 


	9. Attaque de Mouchard

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were pacing around the attic impatiently when Leo orbed back in.  
  
"What did Julius say?" Piper asked, not even bothering to greet her husband, who by then had been gone most of the day.  
  
"You might want to sit down." Leo said, looking particularly at Phoebe. They obeyed, somewhat timidly. "He said it's Cole."  
  
The girls stared at him, too shocked even to speak. Leo related to them what Julius had said about Cole being in league with a darklighter.  
  
"How is that possible?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, I thought we vanquished Cole as the Source, he was exiled from the Underworld."  
  
"The Underworld has been in shambles. With no new Source, there isn't anyone to enforce their laws, and all the exiled evil is coming back, trying to take over, Cole included." Leo explained.  
  
"But what do they want with Angelie?" Paige asked protectively.  
  
"I'm not sure, exactly." Leo admitted. "I mean, not only is she the first and only child ever born to two Whitelighters, but her mother was a Charmed One. Who knows how powerful she'll be?"  
  
Piper frowned. "How do we protect her? We have no idea what we're dealing with, in her powers or Cole's."  
  
Leo sighed. "I don't know. Julius is going to watch over the house as much as possible, but it's going to be hard, because the other Elders can't know she exists. She can't have a Whitelighter assigned to protect her. I'll be able to sense her, when she gets older and starts displaying powers, but if I rely on that too much, the other Elders will know I'm up to something. I guess we just have to watch out backs. And hers."  
  
Piper bit her lip. This was much easier said than done. In the Halliwell home, they considered it odd if someone didn't come in trying to kill them at least once a week. Demonic attacks had become routine, and they'd learn to handle them in stride, but with a baby to look out for, Piper wasn't sure they could pull it off.  
  
"Maybe we should go check on her." Piper said, realizing they hadn't heard her cry in over an hour. They ran downstairs, and found her awake in her crib, gurgling happily. Piper smiled. "Thank God she's such an angel." she murmured, not realizing the irony of her comment until after she'd said it. Maybe this won't be so bad, she thought, picking up the baby and rocking her gently. Angelie squealed with delight at being held.  
  
Just when they were beginning to feel at ease, Cole shimmered in. "Hello, Phoebe," he said, his tone menacing.  
  
Piper held Angelie close, wrapping her arms tightly around the baby. Angelie, sensing something was wrong, started to whimper. "Cole, go back to hell." Piper spat.  
  
"Never left it, babe." he said, almost laughing now. Then he turned his attention back to her sister. "Yanno, Phoebe, I could have given you anything. Would have, too, if you'd let me. But that's ok. I'm over that. Now there's only one thing I want. Power." He gave another little laugh.  
  
"You bastard." Phoebe said, her voice barely audible. "You sick bastard."  
  
A smile slowly spread across Cole's lips. He was definately sick. He was also cunning. Piper knew she had to get Angelie out of there, now. Taking a chance, she moved swiftly across the nursery to Leo's side, trusting the baby at him. Before he could orb her to safety, a darklighter appeared and stabbed him with a poison arrow. Piper tried to cry out, tried to reach for Angelie, but found she couldn't move. Calmly, Cole took the now quiet infant into his own arms.  
  
"The power to paralyze." he said slowly, talking more to the baby than to his ex-wife and her family, "It's quite useful, especially in situations like these. I didn't want to do this, Phoebe. But you never left me a choice. I can't have you, so I'll take your precious neice instead. Don't bother looking for us. We'll be long gone by the time my power wears off." With that, he shimmered out, leaving Leo, Piper, Paige, and Phoebe laying helpless on the floor.  
  
****************  
A/N: Cole taking Angelie... I hadn't planned on this, it just sort of happened while I was writing. I hope this chapter wasn't as bad as the others, it is a bit impromptu. I really need to get better at writing monologues, I swear I'm working on it... Anyhoo, what are you still reading this for? Go review! 


	10. Plan d'action

Julius with with a group of other Elders when he sensed that Angelie was in trouble. By the time he got there, it was too late. Phoebe, Piper, and Paige were unmoving on the floor, and Leo was nearly dead. Julius healed the Whitelighter first. It took a long time, but finally Leo came around. Then, he rested as Julius used his healing power to combat Cole's power of paralization.  
  
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige got up, with some difficulty, and looked over at the empty crib. "We have to get her back." Piper said, choking back tears. She'd only known her neice a few hours, but she loved her. They all did.  
  
"We will." Leo said.  
  
"How?" Paige demanded.  
  
Leo sighed, and looked at Julius. It was then that Piper, Phoebe, and Paige noticed the Elder.  
  
"You're Julius, aren't you? Prue's friend?" Phoebe guessed.  
  
"Yes," Julius answered. "I'm Prue's friend. Yours, too, if you'll have me."  
  
"Can you help us get Angelie back?" Paige asked, her tone desperate.  
  
"Maybe." the Elder said, an idea forming in his head. "Do you know of any place he's especially attatched to? Somewhere he might take her?"  
  
"Two places, actually." Phoebe said. "He wouldn't have taken her to the Underworld. It's too dangerous for him to be there, since he's not the Source anymore, and there are other demons who want his powers. So he would've stayed here, probably he took her someplace where he felt safe." she mused, seeing where Julius was going with this. "Ok, we need to split up. Leo, Piper, you go check out his apartment. Paige and I will go to the mausoleum."  
  
"No way, we can't split up now." Paige protested.  
  
"She's right, we need to stay together in case he comes after us." Piper agreed.  
  
"Well, do either of you have a better plan?" Phoebe asked. Paige and Piper nervously bit their lips, looking down at the floor.  
  
"I do." Julius spoke up. The sisters looked at him hopefully. "We give him what he wants."  
  
"He has what he wants." Piper said miserably. "Our neice."  
  
Julius shook his head. "No, no, what he wants is power. And who's more powerful than one of the Elders themselves?"  
  
Paige exchanged glances with each of her sisters. They all wanted Angelie back, but there had to be another way. "You can't sacrifice yourself." Paige said. "You're and Elder, you're needed Up There."  
  
Julius smiled reassuringly. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'll just be the bait. As soon as you've got the baby safe, I'll orb out."  
  
"Paige is right, Julius, it's much too risky." Piper said.  
  
"It's also the only way we're going to get that little girl back." Julius asserted. "We're running out of time. Do you want to save Angelie or not?"  
  
Piper nodded weakly, surprised at the Elder's sudden authoritarian tone. "So what do we do?"  
  
Julius stepped in closer to the girls. "The plan," he said, "is very simple. First we go to the apartment, because that's where he's been working from lately. I offer him a trade, the baby for me. One of you will take Angelie, I'll orb out, and you three will vanquish Cole once and for all."  
  
"That's not possible." Paige said. "Cole can't be vanquished. We've been trying for months, and I'm telling you, it can't be done."  
  
"It can't be done by you." the Elder corrected. "There is, however, someone more powerful."  
  
"Angelie?" Phoebe questioned. "Is she even a witch, I mean, technically didn't Prue's powers die with her?"  
  
"Powers don't die, Phoebe." Julius told her. "Prue can't use them anymore, but they're as much a part of her genetic code as, say, black hair and blue eyes. Those things all could have been passed on to Angelie, and probably were."  
  
"I still don't get how this is going to work." Paige sighed. "Angelie literally was born yesterday. How is she going to say the vanquishing spell?"  
  
"She's not." Piper said. "We are."  
  
"But-" Paige started to protest, still not understanding. She opened her mouth to say more, but thought better of it. Angelie need them now, they couldn't waste time standing around there debating. Paige shut her mouth, deciding to just folow along with her sisters and hope that they knew what they were doing.  
  
"We'll need a vanquishing spell." Leo pointed out.  
  
"I've already got one." Phoebe said. "I wrote it when Cole first contacted me, after we vanquished him as the Source."  
  
"Right, then. Are we ready?" Julius asked.  
  
Nobody answered. Silently, they formed a circle, joined hands, and disappeared in a swirl of light. 


	11. Le Commutateur

They orbed into Cole's apartment, half expecting to be thrown out by some magical guard. But there was nothing, no protection spells, none of Cole's demonic followers, nothing to protect the building from good magic. Phoebe knew this made things easier for them, but she couldn't help but feel alarmed that her ex hadn't taken more precautions.  
  
They stepped into the apartment and looked around, not one of them daring to say a word for fear that Cole would hear them and take off with Angelie.  
  
"Phoebe. What a pleasant surprise."  
  
Phoebe spun around to see her ex-husband standing behind her in the doorway to the bedroom they once shared. She heard a small cry coming from inside the room. Quickly, anger overtook her fear. "You bastard." she spat. "If you did anything to hurt her, I swear-"  
  
"Relax." Cole said, dismissing her suspicions with a wave of his hand. "She's useless to me dead, and anyway, I don't really want to hurt her. That would hurt you, and you know I could never do that."  
  
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Yanno what, Cole? I've heard this bull before, and right now, I'm more interested in gettting my neice back than listening to your BS."  
  
Cole laughed. "You think it's that easy? You think you can just come in here, yell at me, and I'll back down and give her up? Come on, Phoebe, I thought you were smarter than that."  
  
"She is." Piper said. She, Paige, Leo, and Julius had come up behind Phoebe while she and Cole were arguing. Now, they stepped out from where they had been half-hidden from the demon's view.  
  
"We've come to offer you a deal." Leo said, glancing nervously at the Elder.  
  
"Me for the baby." Julius said. "You know who I am, Cole, how much power I possess. It's got to be greater than that of an infant, even if she is mostly Whitelighter."  
  
Cole considered this for a moment. If he was to give them the baby, and the Elder kept his word, he could easily take over Up There in a matter of minutes. However, if they double-crossed him, he'd have neither the baby nor the Elder, and that wouldn't look very good in front of his subjects, most of whom had been loyal to him since he'd become the Source. Cole mulled this over, trying to decide if it was worth the risk. Then, he got his own idea.  
  
"Okay." he said. "I'll accept."  
  
He went into the bedroom. Paige followed him in, and he handed her the baby. She turned to leave, but he blocked her way.  
  
"First, the Elder." he said. "Then you can leave. And don't try orbing out of here, I've got a special charm put around this room that prevents that kind of thing. Knowing spells like that really come in handy at times like these."  
  
Phoebe glowered at him. "Cole, let her go."  
  
"First Julius comes to me." he insisted.  
  
Julius nodded, resigned. He stepped forward, toward Cole, ready to hold up his end of the bargain. At the last second, Phoebe ran in front of him, standing between the Elder and the demon.  
  
This is what Cole had been counting on. In one swift move, he grabbed Phoebe, shoved Paige out of the room, and slammed the door.  
  
Piper banged on her end of the door, silently cursing. "Phoebe!" she yelled. "Damnit, one of you, open the door!"  
  
Phoebe tried, but the knob held fast. "I can't." she yelled back.  
  
Piper turned to Leo and Julius. "Do something."  
  
Leo tried to orb into the room, but was immediately thrown back.  
  
"Man, he wasn't kidding." Paige remarked, biting her lip.  
  
"Damnit, Cole, let her go." Leo called.  
  
"Why should I?" Cole asked rhetorically. "You've got your precious neice back, now go."  
  
"He's right." they heard Phoebe say. "The important thing is Angelie. I'll be fine, just get her home."  
  
"We're not leaving you." Piper insisted.  
  
While they were preoccupied with the door, the darklighter shimmered in behind Paige. Silently, he lifted his crossbow, aimed, and fired.  
  
For a moment there was shocked silence, followed by the sound of the baby screaming. Angelie had been hit in the arm with a darklighter arrow.  
  
Paige looked in horror at Julius. "What the hell do we do now?" she asked, tears running down her face at the thought of losing Angelie.  
  
Julius didn't answer. He knew there was no time to do anything but react. He grabbed Paige's arm. Piper, who had been clutching Leo's hand when the arrow was fired, put her free arm around her sister. In an instant, they disappeared.  
  
****************  
A/N: I know, you may all be mad at me for what the darklighter did to Angelie, but just hang on until the next chapter. Bet you can't guess where they orb to. Or maybe you can. But anyway, review. 


	12. Puissances Curatives

"Whoa, why are we here?" Piper asked as they materialiazed. She looked around, realizing at once that they were Up There. "Are you crazy, taking her here?" she asked Julius.  
  
"I can't heal her alone." Julius responded, his voice strained. "Look at her. The poison is already getting to her."  
  
He was right. The baby had gone almost completely limp in Paige's arms. She was breathing, but only faintly. It was obvious that the poison was working it's way through her tiny body in a matter of minutes.  
  
"So, can't Leo and Paige help you?" Phoebe asked. Like Piper, she was wary of bringing Angelie anywhere that the Elders could find her.  
  
Julius shook his head. "They aren't powerful enough. You know how deadly darklighter poison is to Whitelighters, and Angelie has Whitelighter genes from both parents. That makes her twice as susceptible. We need to act fast."  
  
Piper, Paige, and Phoebe exchanged glances. They knew what was coming, but somehow they were hoping the Elder had come up with a different course of action.  
  
They were disappointed.  
  
"We need to inform the other Elders. I know, it's dangerous, but we don't have a choice." he said, his tone becoming more and more grave as he spoke. He sighed, clearly wishing there were some other way. There wasn't, he reminded himself. He cleared his throat, making sure he had not only Leo's attention but that of the girls as well. "Without the help of the other Elders, Angelie will die."  
  
He walked swiftly, with Leo and the girls following behind. He came to the meeting-room, where the Elders were assembled. Wordlessly, he set the baby on the table, and joined hands with two of the Elders, signalling for the rest of them, as well as Paige and Leo, to form a circle around the table. They did, seeing what bad condition the baby was in, and healed her. It took a long time, but finally she was healthy again.  
  
Julius handed her to Piper. "She'll be weak for a while, but she'll live."  
  
"Thank you." Piper murmured, on the verge of crying over what could've happened to her neice.  
  
One of the Elders, Gnaius, spoke up. "Who is this child? I sensed an amazing amount of power as we were healing her."  
  
"She's ours." Piper said, holding the baby to her protectively.  
  
"You don't mean yours and Leo's?" Gnaius questioned. "Even the daughter of a Whitelighter and a Charmed One wouldn't be that powerful, nor would she be that vulnerable to darklighter poison."  
  
Paige looked from Angelie to Gnaius. She remembered Prue's visit with her in the attic. Her oldest sister had been so afraid of this moment. Paige had to do something to stop it. "Cole has Phoebe." she blurted.  
  
This, of course, got their attention. They started making plans to get her back, but realized most of them were futile when they remembered Cole's no-magic barrier.  
  
After the first half-hour of deliberation, Leo took Angelie and orbed her home. They had apparently forgotten about her in the excitement over getting her aunt back, but Piper and Paige didn't want to take any chances.  
  
Octavia, one of the newer Elders, suddenly had an idea. She hadn't forgotten about the infant, or the overwhelming power they'd felt while healing her. "I think I know how to get your sister back." she said excitedly, keeping her voice low so that only Piper, Paige, and Julius could hear. "None of us knew it was possible for one person to have as much power as Angelie seems to, right?"   
  
Piper nodded cautiously. What was this girl getting at?  
  
"Probably Cole didn't know, either. Probably his protection spell isn't that strong." Octavia continued.  
  
Paige saw where this was going. "We've been through this before. She can't say the spell. I still don't get how this works."  
  
"We tap into her powers." Piper explained. "We'll say the spell while holding her, and-"  
  
"No." Octavia interrupted. "You can't. You won't be able to. There's only one person who can tap into a baby's powers. Her mother." 


	13. La Convocation

Prue was with a charge when she heard Paige calling. What was going on? Hadn't she made it clear to Paige that it was dangerous for her to be around them?  
  
"Um, Yasmine, I have to go." she said apologetically to her charge.  
  
"That's allright. I'm fine, go ahead." Yasmine said.  
  
Prue frowned. She hated to cut meetings with charges short.  
  
Yasmine laughed. "Prue, you worry too much. Everything's fine here, really. If you're being called, go."  
  
Prue said good-bye, and orbed out. She expected to meet Paige at the manor, but she found herself orbing in Up There, among a group of Elders. Andy was there also, as were her sisters and Julius. The only people noticeably absent were Leo, Phoebe, and her daughter.  
  
"Where's Angelie?" Prue asked, fighting down a rising panic.  
  
"She's with Leo, at home." Piper assured her. She was obviously resisting the urge to fling her arms around her big sister, whom she hadn't seen in so long. Prue didn't notice.  
  
"And Phoebe?" she asked. "Is she there, too?"  
  
Paige shook her head. "That's kindof why I summoned you."  
  
Julius stepped forward to explain what had gone down at Cole's apartment. Prue listened quietly, absorbing it all. Then Octavia jumped in with her idea on how to get Phoebe back and vanquish Cole at the same time.  
  
"So I... So I just hold her and say the spell, and I'll be able to tap into her powers?" Prue asked, euphoric at the prospect of holding her daughter again.  
  
"You'll have to focus, of course, but yes. That's essentially it." Julius said. Even he was amazed at the plan's simplicity, but there was no doubt in his mind that it would work.  
  
"When does all this happen?" Andy asked.  
  
"As soon as possible." answered Gnaius. "After that, we'll deal with the two of you." he added, pointing to Andy and Prue.  
  
Prue sighed. Gnaius had hated her and Andy since each of them had received their wings. Probably longer, she thought, remembering that Gnaius had been an Elder since before she was born.  
  
"Okay, well, shall we?" Julius asked, growing impatient. Piper summoned Leo and explained to him the plan.  
  
The look of joy on Prue's face when Leo handed her the baby touched everyone in the room. Everyone except Gnaius.  
  
"Let's get this over with." he snapped, glaring harshly at Prue and Andy.  
  
"But we don't have a spell." Piper protested. "Phoebe's the one that wrote it, it's with her."  
  
"Fine." Gnaius said. "Go home, write a spell, and then come back here. If you aren't done within a reasonable amount of time, I'll come get you."  
  
Piper sent the Elder a scathing look, not bothering to disguise the contempt she felt for him and all of the other Elders who would keep her sister from her baby. Then she , Leo, Paige, Prue, and Andy joined hands and orbed out.  
  
****************  
A/N: I know this chapter's a bit short, but I've been really busy lately. Hopefully I'll finish this fic soon, but I won't be able to start working on its sequel for a while. And besides, does anyone really want a sequel to this, anyway? 


	14. Le Vaincre

Prue and Andy sat next to each other on the living room couch, holding Angelie. Piper was sitting across from them, staring in awe of her older sister. She'd dreamed of seeing Prue again every night for the past year or so, but she never imagined it would happen like this.  
  
Prue was too wrapped up in her daughter to notice Piper, though like Piper, she'd missed her sisters terribly. She'd grown used to living without Piper and Phoebe. Somehow, she knew that once this was over, she'd be able to leave them again and they'd all be okay. She couldn't say the same about leaving her daughter. It had been hard enough the first time, but to do it again? Just the thought hurt Prue so much she could barely breathe. Andy, knowing exactly how she felt, put an arm around her comfortingly. She smiled at him, and went back to beaming down at the baby.  
  
"I've got it!" Paige called, interrupting everyone's thoughts. She came into the living room, Leo following behind her, and held out a piece of paper. She showed it to Piper briefly, and then gave it to Prue.  
  
Prue took the paper, her hands trembling. She didn't want to do this. If she did this, and they didn't need her to tap into Angelie's power any more, then she'd have to go back to being a Whitelighter, unable to hold or even see her baby.  
  
Andy squeezed her shoulder. The look in his eyes seemed to tell her, 'We have to do this, and we have to do it now.' Prue looked back at him in silent agreement, and stood up.  
  
Piper, as the only one who couldn't orb, held on to Leo. Then, the room was filled with a bright, beautiful light, and when it faded, they were gone.  
  
They orbed into Cole's apartment, right outside his bedroom door. They could hear Phoebe arguing with him inside.  
  
"Damnit, Cole, you aren't going to get me back this way." Phoebe was saying.  
  
"Look around, Phoebe." Cole sneered. "I already have you. Granted, it would be better if you'd admit you still love me, but I'll take what I can get."  
  
"I. Don't. Love. You." Phoebe said.  
  
Cole laughed.  
  
Piper pounded on the door. "Cole, open this damn door, or I'll-"  
  
"You'll what?" Cole interrupted. "Blow it up? Go ahead. Try."  
  
"Phoebe, stand back." someone called. Phoebe did as she wastold, then blinked hard. Was she just imagining it, or had she just heard Prue's voice? But that's impossible, she reasoned.  
  
On the other side of the door, Prue took out the paper Paige had given her. On one side, there was a spell to undo whatever charms Cole had put on the place. Holding on to Angelie, she breathed deeply, concentrating until she felt her daughter's powers running through her. Then she started chanting.  
  
"Spells you worked so hard to weave,  
Depart and let my sister leave,  
Your protection you'll no longer grant,  
To this building and its resident sycophant."  
  
Prue gasped as she finished the spell, and stumbled backward. She was staring at her daughter, this time with more than the usual mix of parental awe and joy she'd been looking at her with before.  
  
"Prue, what is it?" Andy asked, in a strained, worried tone.  
  
"It was amazing." Prue breathed. "Her powers... When I felt them, they were just so.. incredible."  
  
Meanwhile, to test the spell, Piper tried to blow the door up. It worked. Phoebe and Cole stared at the open space in the wall, stunned.  
  
"Phoebe, come on." Paige yelled.  
  
Phoebe ran toward her sisters, shocked to see Prue and Andy standing with the rest of their family. "Prue?" she said softly. "So it was you."  
  
Prue nodded, then looked at Cole and back at Phoebe. "I told you that guy was no good."  
  
Phoebe laughed. Cole scowled at Prue. "Hey, did you call me a sycophant?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.  
  
Prue shrugged. "It was Paige's spell, and a damn good one, too."  
  
Paige blushed. "The second one is better, if I do say so myself."  
  
"Well, then, let's try it. What do you think, Angelie? Do you think we should? Yeah, I do, too." Prue said, talking more for Cole's benefit than for her daughter's. She turned the paper over, to read the other spell her baby sister had written.  
  
"Invincible to all but one,  
Your powers now will come undone,  
In a tiny child you've met your match,  
Cole will now be burnt to ash."  
  
They all stepped back. Andys pulled Prue behind him to shield her and the baby as Cole burst into flames, which extinguished themselves in a matter of minutes and left nothing but a small pile of ashes. Prue leaned against Andy, rocking their baby and wondering what would happen now.  
  
****************  
A/N: Ooohh, almost done. I'm all excited, because this is only the second non-parody Charmed fic I've ever finished, and I'm so close and yeah. I pretty much know everything I'm going to write from here on out, so updates should come regularly, just so long as I get enough reviews. 


	15. Résolution

They were standing Up There, again surrounded by the Elders. Gnaius was pacing in front of them, citing all the things they'd done wrong.  
  
"You knew Whitelighters were forbidden to be with each other, and you broke that rule, and when you conceived a child - a child who never should have existed - you hid her from us. That alone is grounds enough for expulsion. Plus, you specifically ignored my instructions to come back here with any vanquishing spell you were planning to use. What if it had backfired? Did you even think about that? Did you even consider that there were reasons behind the rules?"  
  
Octavia stepped forward in their defense. "If I may, Gnaius," she said, glaring scornfully at her colleague, "If it weren't for this blessed child, whom you insist shouldn't have been born, we'd still be living under the threat of the most powerful evil being ever known. If the result of their rule-breaking is a beautiful baby girl with powers beyond comprehension - powers that she'll use for good, of course, her parents and aunts being what they are - then I don't think the reasons behind these rules you keep bringing up are quite good enough."  
  
Everyone looked at her in amazement. Octavia was not only the youngest Elder, but the smallest and quietest. She rarely, if ever, spoke up until now. Blushing slightly, she stepped back.  
  
Julius decided it was his turn to speak. "Gnaius, you can't possibly think of punishing them after all the good they've done, today included. I may be one of you, but I'll be the first to admit that some of our rules are just plain ridiculous, this one included. What are we trying to accomplish, by keeping Whitelighters from the people they love, and taking away their children? What good can possibly come of that? The only effect this rule has comes in the form of broken hearts-"  
  
"Enough." Gnaius bellowed. "A rule is a rule, regardless of whether or not it's a good one." He continued on in Whitelighter-speak, clicking away for what seemed like hours. Finally, the Elders disappeared to deliberate over what, if any, punishment should be given.  
  
A long time passed. They waited for the Elders in silence; they were all too scared to speak. At last, they orbed in.  
  
Gnaius stepped forward, looking slightly defeated. Prue reached for Andy's hand, hoping this was a good sign.  
  
"After much discussion," Gnaius began in his cold, formal way, "we've managed to come up with a suitable arrangement, given the circumstances. Granted, I don't think it's nearly severe enough, but it'll have to do." He coughed, and continued. "Prudence, Andrew, you will both be indefinately suspended as Whitelighters. Your wings will be clipped - not permanently, mind you - and you will live as mortals. I don't much care where or how. When we see fit, we will give you your powers back."  
  
Andy and Prue looked at each other, assimilating this. Then it sank in: They were going back to Earth, to live with their family, and most importantly, to be with their daughter. No sooner had they processed this than they were enveloped in a group hug by Prue's sisters and brother-in-law. Even Julius and Octavia came over to share their joy.  
  
"Enough." Gnaius said. "Come along, then, it's time to strip our powers."  
  
Prue and Andy went to the belligerent Elder to have their wings clipped. They both felt a sadness over losign their powers, but it was nothing compared to the absolute joy at knowing they would be able to see their little girl, after all.  
  
Prue handed Angelie over to Andy. Then, she ran over to Julius and gave him a kiss. "Thank you for... everything." she said, clasping his hands.  
  
He pulled her into a warm embrace. "If you'll have me, I'll stop in as often as possible."  
  
"You'd better." called Piper.  
  
Prue smiled at him, and went back to her family. The six adults joined hands, and Paige and Leo orbed them back to the manor to rejoin the mortal world.  
  
The End.  
  
***************  
A/N: That chapter could have been a lot better, but I'm just really glad I finished. What did you think? Do you want a sequel? I've already got an idea for the sequel in mind, but I'm not going to start it until I know there's a lot of interest, so please, review.  
Thanks for reading my fic. Hope you liked it!  
-Cateline 


End file.
